Langkawi sees surge of 50,000 visitors over Aidilfitri peak period

THE island welcomed an estimated 50,000 visitors over a five-day peak period during Aidilfitri since last Monday, driven by the return of hometown travellers as well as an influx of tourists.

Of the total arrivals, around 18,000 passengers entered via ferry services from Kuala Perlis and Kuala Kedah, while approximately 7,000 more used roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ferry services transporting both passengers and vehicles.

Air travel remained the primary mode of entry, with an estimated 50,000 passengers recorded arriving through domestic and international flights over the same period.

Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd operations manager Lieutenant Commander (Rtd) Norhafiz Abdul Wahid said 11,230 passengers were recorded arriving in Langkawi via the Kuala Perlis route since last Monday.

“For the Kuala Kedah–Langkawi route, a total of 6,960 local and foreign passengers were recorded through seven trips, including two additional trips,” he said when contacted today.

“We believe this increase is driven by Langkawi natives returning home for the festive season, as well as tourists taking the opportunity to holiday on the island,” he added.

Meanwhile, Langkawi Port Sdn Bhd general manager Muhd Nasir Abd Aziz said the Tanjung Lembung Jetty recorded about 7,000 RoRo passenger arrivals over the same period.

He said RoRo ferry operators had increased trip frequency to between seven and eight trips per day, compared with three to four trips on normal days.

“This step was taken to accommodate the surge in demand during the festive season, as well as to ensure smooth movement of passengers and vehicles between Langkawi and Kuala Perlis,” he said in a statement.

Checks on flight schedules showed that Langkawi International Airport receives an average of 20 incoming flights daily, covering domestic routes from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, as well as international flights from Singapore and Bengaluru, India.

An airport staff member, who wished to be known only as Man, said daily briefings instructed personnel to be prepared to handle an average of 5,000 passengers per day over the five-day period.ch 20, 2026 - March 20, 2026